Fiji Airways to inspect Boeing 737 after emergency landing

The Fiji Airways engineering team will carry out necessary inspections and maintenance checks on their Boeing 737-800 after it had to make an emergency landing after take-off at the Christchurch airport, New Zealand.  

This has been confirmed by the Fiji Airways executive manager Industry, International and Government Affairs and Corporate Communications, Kameli Batiweti, yesterday.  

The incident happened yesterday. The flight FJ450 was bound for Nadi when it experienced a bird strike around 2pm.  

The flight was captained by James Lenoa.  It is reported that the Fiji Airways flight sparked an emergency callout after circling in the air for two hours above Canterbury.  

One of the passengers of the flight had a video showing what appeared to be blood on one of the aircraft's engines.     

The flight is reported to be carrying more than 170 passengers when it was forced to enter a holding pattern to burn fuel before attempting to land.    

A statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand said bird strikes were a known aviation hazard, and flight crew were trained and equipped to manage them safely.    

"The airline and airport followed established safety procedures, and CAA will be liaising with them to understand the circumstances and confirm any required follow-up,” CAA New Zealand said.     

Mr Batiweti confirmed that all guests and crew were safe.  

“Our engineering team will now carry out the necessary inspections and maintenance checks on the aircraft.” 

He said their reservations and customer care teams were assisting affected guests with new travel arrangements and onward connections.  

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank our guests for their patience and understanding. Safety remains our highest priority at all times.”